Speculum



3 R. D. DAVIS 2,661,735

SPECULUM Filed July 28, 1952 Ill! Rachel Darden Dav/s, INVENTOR.

M406 By gym? Patented Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'SPECULUMRachel Darden Davis, Kinston, N. C.

Application July 28, 1952, Serial No. 301,242

I (Cl. 128-17) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a speculum and particularly to an improvedskeleton blade speculum with means for readily adjusting and maintainingthe skeleton blades in proper relation while illuminating devices andother instruments are projected through the speculuin into operatingposition therein.

In the utilization of speculums for providing inspection or operatingroom in the vagina, difficulty has heretofore been had because of theobscuring of the parts operated on by the speculum itself. Furtherdifliculty has been had because of the difficulty of projecting lightinside the speculum and avoiding the glare into the eyes of theoperator. Further difficulty has been had because the adjustment of thespeculum is liable to be erratic and Wobbly so that the blades may notbe maintained in proper alignment during operation.

A speculum according to the present invention avoids this difficulty byproviding skeleton blades having substantially wire-like ribs formingthe blades and having an improved handle and slide arrangement foradjusting the width of the mouth of the speculum and maintaining theslide and the handle in proper aligned position.

The speculum further provides a means for mounting an illuminatingdevice in one of the blades of the speculum and provides sufficient roomso that a reflector or shield may be mounted over the illuminatingdevice to protect the eyes of the operator.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improvedspeculum.

It is a further object of the invention to pro vide a speculum havingskeleton blades.

It is a further object of the invention to pro vide a speculum bladehaving means for mounting a light therein.

It is a further object of the invention to pro- 2 on the plane indicatedby the line l-4 of Figure 2 and showing the improved guide structure forthe speculum.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the speculum bladecomprises a base It formed of relatively thin sheet metal material andhaving the major portion of the blades cut into fingers or ribs !2 whichare formed or worked into rod or wire-like shape so that the speculum.is substantially skeleton bladed. The outside ribs of each of the bladesis provided by means of ribs [4 and it which are joined intosubstantially loop-like formation having a tip such as l8. Preferablyeach of the blades is formed of an odd number of ribs so that a centralrib such as 2!! may extend down and be directly connected to the tip l8of the loop formed by the two outside ribs l4 and it. The remaining ribs12 may be connected to the outside ribs M and It at a point removed fromthe tip it but preferably all of the ribs will be of arcuate formationso that the entire blade is concave in construction; One of the blades,such as the blade having the base I 0, has rigidly connected thereto alaterally extending handle 22 which is concave in cross section as shownin Figure 4 and terminates in a downturned gripping end 24. The concavehandle 24 provides a longitudinally extending slot or guide channel 26for a purpose presently to be described. A slide member 28 is providedfor sliding engagement with the handle 22 and has a longitudinallyextending slot 30 through which extends locking screw 32 which isrigidly secured in the handle 22 by any suitable means. The locking nutSt is mounted on the screw 32 for locking the slide 28 in substantiallyfixed relation with respect to the handle 22.

The slide 28 is provided with a bifurcated head 38 having forwardlyextending arms 40 and 42. The base 44 of the outside blade is pivoted tothe arms 40 and 42 by means of suitable rivets 46 and 48. The arms 40and 42 are roughly channel-shaped in formation and the base It isprovided with upstanding lugs 50 that slide in the arms 40 and 42 andstabilize the head with respect to the base H).

The outside end of the slide 28 is provided with an enlarged end 52 onwhich is provided a grip-- ping aperture 54. The enlarged head 52 islikewise provided with an inturned downwardly extending guide lug 56adapted to slide in the longitudinal concave portion 26. To furtherstabilize the operation of the slide on the handle 22 a pair of grooves60 and 62 is provided on the underside or the slide 28 and upstandingridges 64 and 66 on the edges of the concave handle 22 extend into thegrooves 60 and 62 for further preventing lateral movement of the slideon the handle.

A lever 10 is rigidly mounted on the base 44 and has a thumb engagingportion I2 which extends in proximity to the handle 22 so that it may beoperated by the thumb of the hand holding theQzhandleZZZ.Alaterallygprojectingppintis lgstanclingthere6f.

mounted in the armfl and has arelativ'ely flat head H with the headlying in the plane of the head 38. An adjusting screw 16 has a head?" inwhich is a longitudinally extending slot. .8

5 of the wire-like ribs forming the blades of the speculum.

For purposes of description a particular embodiment of the invention hasbeen shown, and described according to the best present under-However,11it .iWlH be; apparent "to 'thoseskil'led in theartthat manychanges and v modifications can be made herein without departing fromthe true spirit of the invention.

.Having described the invention, what is The slot 80 is of sufficientwidth that the flat'l5 claimed as new is:

head 14 may readily pass through-.theeslotjfl when the screw I6 is insubstantiaLparallel relation to the arm 42. The lever'lfl"is"providedwith an aperture through which the :screw :16

extends and a thumb nut 82 is mounted on the 20 screw '16 land is.operativeutorloclethe lever- 10. .in aadiusteiposition when. desired.

The base 44 of 'the outer blade igprovided .With .adongitudinallyextending, slot 86 which extends relatively to thebottomof the base. andprefer- .ably;.is. in line with the central rib. or" the. outer .blade.Theslot -88 .is v adapted .to .permit-.the .location of. a light fixturewithin the speculum and toeadjustit .as may be desired. Ifdesired.the..base;44..may be :fiared outwardly-sufiiciently so that. a.reflector :orshield may .be. mounted in .t-he speculumto; prevent lightfrom the light fixt-turefromlshining into the eyes of theoperator.

In the operation of the; speculum, the, nut82 :will be loosened so thatthe tips of the blades will ,come together, as shown .in FigureB and thenut .34 is-loosened so that: themouth of the speculum maybe adjusted toany desired widthafter which it: will ,be. rigidly. locked.in-pesitionby. tightening the nut 534.530 thatthe slide-28 will, berigidly maintained in longitudinal relation to thelhandle .22. .flhelever 10 .wilLthenzbe depressed .toeopen :the' blades otthe speculum.todilate the portion being-inspected and if desiredthe locking .nut

Samaybe; run. down to maintain-.theblades n 46 5 A :speciilum comprisinga pair of skeleton .blades, eachof said blades including an arcuateplate 'metalbase, a plurality of wire-like ribs .formed: on said base,said ribs being secured tbgether to provide a blade tip, a laterallyextending ..handle. on-.one of said ..blades,..a bifurcated sslide.mounted. for'..longitudinal .motion .on. said handle. the. other of:said blades being pivotally mounted. onsaid biiurcated slide,v alongitudinal slot in said -slide,.a locking screw extending throughsaidslot a pair of parallel longitudinally extending grooves in saidslide, apair of upstandeing ridges on said handle, said ridgesbeingen--.gagecl in saidgrooves, said handle being concave, 2. depending guideon said slide, said guide being reeeived-insaid concave handle.

RACHEL DARDEN. DAVIS.

References Cited in the "file of this patent UNITEDqSTATES -:-PATENTSNumber Name Date 624537 'Provins May 9,1899 662.830 iSklar Nov. 27, 19002,545,201 Gilbert Mar. 13, 1951 ".OTHERiREFERENCES 11893 Catalog 10fChas. .TruaxeGreen (30., "Chicago Ill gp. .1470. (Copy in Div. 55.)

